The present invention generally relates to process control computer systems and particularly to a system and method for graphically displaying the flow of process control information in a way which is readily understood by users worldwide.
In recent years, computers have been increasingly employed to automate and control the production of chemicals, plastics and other industrial resources. In this regard, it should be appreciated that each process will typically present a unique set of operational constraints, /Input parameters and output devices to be controlled. Thus, the design of process control systems tends to be driven by the specific considerations of the process at hand. Accordingly, the interaction between the process control equipment and the technicians responsible for running the process will generally be quite different from one process to another.
Additionally, it should be appreciated that computer technology has developed and continues to develop at a rapid pace. Thus, it is possible that a variety of different computer hardware platforms and software packages may be employed for process control systems at one or more sites, even when the processes involved are the similar or the same. Accordingly, the way in which a technician interacts with the process control equipment will depend not only upon the process itself, but the generation and type of equipment being employed to control the process. In this regard, substantial time and effort may be devoted to developing the software for displaying the complex information being gathered and manipulated by any particular computer-based control system, and there may be little if any consistency in how this information is communicated from one control system to the next. This results in a loss of productivity due the time invested by system designers and the time required to train the personnel who are ultimately charged with the responsibility to run and maintain the equipment used to control the process.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a process control information system and method which may be readily applied in a wide variety of processes.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a process control information system and method which is capable of quickly communicating the flow of live or real-time information in a way recognizable by users worldwide.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a process control information system and method which is capable of being adapted for use with future generations of computer-based process control technology.
It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide a process control information system and method which is capable of rapidly interpreting complex process control statements and permitting fast switching between different process control statements.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a process control information system and method which will simplify troubleshooting and speed up control decision-making in response to anomalous process conditions.